Sione Po'uha - #91 - DT
| Status | Inactive |
| Height/Weight | 6' 3"/ 325 lbs. |
| Birthday | 02/03/1979 |
| Birthplace | Salt Lake City, UT |
| College | Utah |
| Years played | 9 |
| Drafted | 2005, 3rd round, 24th pick by Jets |
NT position badly hurting Jets' run defense
The Jets' run defense has struggled mightily this season, especially in the middle without a healthy Sione Po'uha.
Tate, Keller among Monday night's inactives
Texans RB Ben Tate and Jets TE Dustin Keller are among the inactive players for the Week Five Monday night game.
Four Jets, including Keller, listed as doubtful
Jets TE Dustin Keller, WR Stephen Hill, NT Sione Po'uha and FB John Conner are all doubtful for the Monday night against the Texans.
PLAYER NEWS
A person with knowledge of the situation tells The Associated Press that the New York Jets will release longtime Po'uha in a cost-cutting move.|||||||
Po'uha was due to make $4.9 million in base salary this season, which would have become guaranteed if he remained on the roster Thursday. The 34-year-old Po'uha missed four games last season while dealing with back troubles after signing a three-year, $15 million contract last offseason.
According to ESPN New York, Po'uha's back injury was "much worse" than the initial reports. Still, Jets coach Rex Ryan was optimistic about Po'uha playing this week.|||||||
Po'uha, who signed a 3-year contract during the offseason, has missed the past three games.
Po'uha is questionable to play in the team's season opener against Buffalo, and not out, as coach Rex Ryan initially announced.|||||||
Coach Rex Ryan says Po'uha, sidelined since training camp with a sore back, is "close" and has been "begging us to play." The team says Ryan misspoke on Po'uha's status because he hadn't read the final injury report.
The New York Jets have agreed to a 3-year contract with nose tackle Sione Pouha, who would have become a free agent Tuesday. The team considered re-signing Pouha a top priority after the seven-year veteran had a strong 2011 season even as the team's overall defense slumped.|||||||
Pouha, who has spent his entire career with the Jets, had 58 tackles last season and also was credited for a safety. He's considered a team leader, something the Jets desperately need after a season marred by a fractured locker room. The 33-year-old Pouha became a starter when Rex Ryan was hired as coach in 2009 and has been one of the Jets' most reliable defensive players for the last three seasons.
Pouha is noticeably thinner this summer after shedding 25 pounds from his 325-pound frame.|||||||
Pouha is reshaped and refocused - and ready to make a big impact on the Jets' defensive line. "You want big bodies to play in there, and he's a stout guy, but there's different ranges of how big a body you want in there," Jets coach Eric Mangini said. "I think that at this weight, he still has the same sort of power and strength, but his wind is better, his conditioning's better and I think his first-step quickness is better."
